There are still an estimated two million Brits on the roads with diesels registered before 2005 – which are seen as the biggest polluters

How green are electric cars?

Some scientists have questioned their green efficiency.

Norwegian research shows the energy-intensive manufacture of some electric cars has double the impact on global warming of conventional cars. Their green credentials are also dented if the electricity is produced using fossil fuels.

What are the batteries in electric cars made from?

Most use lithium-ion battery packs, the same technology that powers smartphones, tablets and laptops. Chile has the largest reserves of lithium.

About 55 per cent of battery production is in China.

Is lithium mining green?

Lithium is pumped out of briny underground ponds and left to dry in the sun before refining.

Each ton of lithium requires about 500,000 gallons of water to produce. Car batteries need 20kg of lithium.

Campaigners say children as young as seven work in perilous conditions to mine cobalt which is also used in batteries.

Mr Gove admitted councils will able to charge diesel drivers – or ban them altogether – from 81 of the “dirtiest” roads in Britain after they have tried other measures

What about old batteries?

Lithium-ion batteries eventually stop holding their charge. But they are extremely toxic and exposure to sunlight can cause them to catch fire.

What about accidents?

A lithium battery was implicated in a plane crash in 2010 in Dubai, resulting in a ban on certain lithium batteries on flights.

When Richard Hammond crashed the Rimac Concept One electric supercar in June, he narrowly escaped with his life after it burst into flames.

Is the car industry ready?

Car-makers fear an outright ban will undermine their industry unless there are more incentives to buy electric. And just one per cent of mechanics are trained to work safely on the high-voltage technology.

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How bad is air pollution?

Air pollution cuts short 40,000 lives a year in the UK, say doctors.

What about other countries?

Germany, India, the Netherlands and Norway are considering bans by 2030 or sooner.

How many electric cars are currently sold?

They account for fewer than one per cent of UK sales. More than half of global sales are in China.How far can electric cars go?

The new Tesla Model 3 has a range of more than 200 miles. Others run for just 80 miles.

What about insurance?

Insurance costs can be up to 50 per cent higher than for petrol or diesels.

Bentley debuts first electric luxury car at the Geneva Motor Show

What about charging points?

There are more than 4,500 charging locations in the UK. But mass ownership☻ will mean thousands more are needed.

The Government has announced £100million of funding but experts say it’s simply not enough.

At peak times the extra electricity needed would be ten times the output of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station being built in Somerset.

What about fuel tax?

The Government clawed in about £27.9billion from fuel duties in 2016-17.

That’s almost four per cent of the total tax take and, if it is lost, the money will have to be found from elsewhere.

Does the ban go far enough?

No, say green campaigners, who have branded it a headline-grabbing gimmick. Areeba Hamid, from Greenpeace UK, said: “It means that children across the UK will continue to be exposed to harmful air pollution for years to come.”

What’s this got to do with the EU?

The High Court ruled that a previous Government plan to tackle air pollution failed to comply with an EU directive to cut emissions in the “shortest possible time”.